Who are Somalia's al-Shabab?

Islamist militant group al-Shabab is battling the UN-backed government in Somalia, and is suspected of links to a string of attacks in neighbouring Kenya. The group, which is linked to al-Qaeda, has been pushed out of most of the main towns it once controlled, but it remains a potent threat.

Who are al-Shabab?

Al-Shabab means The Youth in Arabic.

It emerged as the radical youth wing of Somalia's now-defunct Union of Islamic Courts, which controlled Mogadishu in 2006, before being forced out by Ethiopian forces.

There are numerous reports of foreign jihadists going to Somalia to help al-Shabab, and the group has claimed to be allied with al-Qaeda.

It is banned as a terrorist group by both the US and the UK and is believed to have between 7,000 and 9,000 fighters.

What are al-Shabab's foreign links?

In a joint video released in February 2012, Godane said he "pledged obedience" to al-Qaeda head Ayman al-Zawahiri.

The two groups have long worked together and foreigners are known to fight alongside Somali militants.

US officials worry that as al-Qaeda retreats in Afghanistan and Pakistan following the killing of Osama Bin Laden, fighters will increasingly take refuge in Somalia.

There have also been numerous reports that al-Shabab may have formed some links with other militants groups in Africa, such as Boko Haram in Nigeria and al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb, based in the Sahara desert.